WHEREAS, Kristen M. Nye has ably served the Richmond community for 12 years as a member of the Richmond City School Board and the Richmond City Council; and

WHEREAS, Kristen Nye played an active role in the establishment of the Commonwealth's first charter elementary school, the Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts in Richmond, and served the school community in various capacities; and

WHEREAS, Kristen Nye handled public relations and communication efforts for the Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts, including serving as the school's spokesperson, and subsequently oversaw building renovations; and

WHEREAS, Kristen Nye joined the Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts Board of Directors in 2009 and was selected to serve as vice president; she resigned from the board in 2012 to run for the Richmond City School Board, ultimately winning the seat after a five-way race; and

WHEREAS, among her many accomplishments on the Richmond City School Board, Kristen Nye served as vice chair for two years and co-chaired the board's facilities task force; and

WHEREAS, after one term on the Richmond City School Board, Kristen Nye ran for and was elected to the Richmond City Council in 2016, representing the Richmond Southwest 4th Voter District; she was subsequently elected as vice president in 2023 and president in 2024; and

WHEREAS, Kristen Nye served as a chief patron for the legislation that made Richmond the first municipality in the Commonwealth to allow its city workers to engage in collective bargaining, expanded the city's senior tax relief program, and established the city's first-ever park ranger program; and

WHEREAS, one of Kristen Nye's proudest legislative accomplishments was leading the Richmond City Council's resolution to express support for offering health care benefits for unmarried domestic partners of city employees, which ultimately led to the passage of legislation that dramatically expanded the ways local governments can provide health care benefits for their employees; and

WHEREAS, during her tenure in city government, Kristen Nye also served as chair of the Governmental Operations Committee, on the Board of Directors of the Richmond Ambulance Authority, and on the Board of Directors for Venture Richmond; and

WHEREAS, after completing her current term on the Richmond City Council, Kristen Nye plans to seek new opportunities to serve her fellow members of the Richmond community; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Kristen M. Nye hereby be commended for her exceptional service as a member of the Richmond City School Board and the Richmond City Council; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Kristen M. Nye as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for her legacy of achievements on behalf of the residents of Richmond.